Southampton-based scheme wins £315K to promote jazz in the south

Turner Sims wins Arts Council Funding for Jazz South project

A Southampton project has won a £300,000 grant to promote jazz in the south.

Turner Sims Southampton, part of the University of Southampton, received the cash from Arts Council England.

The £315,755 grant will bne used to "raise the aspirations of emerging and professional jazz artists, standards of performance, composition and promotion across the UK’s Southern regions".

Turner Sims will now launch a three-year talent development programme Jazz South in which established and emerging artists, and gifted and talented children and young people, will work with promoters and leading UK and international figures.

New work will be commissioned, and talent and excellence developed through masterclasses and residencies.

Jazz South will benefit from Turner Sims’ strong track record in jazz promotion, development and commitment to broadening the reach and raising the profile of the sector. Talent development opportunities will be offered throughout the Arts Council’s South West region plus the central and southern parts of Arts Council’s current South East region, from Buckinghamshire to Kent.

Kevin Appleby, Turner Sims concert hall manager, said: “This is a hugely exciting moment for Turner Sims and I’m most grateful to Arts Council England for their support. This investment enables us to realise our aspirations for creating new opportunities for the jazz sector in the South of England. I know from the conversations we have had with a range of organisations and individuals across the region already that there is a great appetite for this, and I look forward to working with partners regionally, nationally and internationally to bring these opportunities to life.”

Sir Christopher Snowden, President and Vice-Chancellor at the University of Southampton, commented:

“The University welcomes this funding for its renowned concert hall and is proud to be supporting this significant sector development - playing a leading role in talent development for jazz artists of all ages. As custodians of culture in Southampton, this extraordinary project is testimony to our University’s determination and commitment to the fundamental role that arts and culture play and further underpins our essential role in nurturing new talent.”

Phil Gibby, Area Director, South West. Arts Council England, said: “We’re delighted to be supporting Turner Sims with a significant grant of £315,755 through our National Lottery-funded Ambition for Excellence programme. The fund supports and stimulates ambition, talent and excellence in arts and culture across England and our investment in Jazz South looks set to support a step change in jazz music across the south west and south east of England.

Turner Sims already has a distinctive jazz programme with fantastic links across Europe and this investment will enable this identity to grow by developing young, emerging and established talent, creating new commissions and building different and diverse audiences. We are excited to see what the next three years have in store for jazz in the region, nationally and beyond.”

Turner Sims will be announcing the details of the first tranche of programme activity in summer 2018.

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